Biography

Dr Rajnish Sharma is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Auckland, specialising in the subject areas of Aerodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, and their application. He has been an academic here since August 2001, and became a permanent member of staff in 2007.

His academic career commenced at the Fiji National University (formerly Fiji Institute of Technology), and later, he joined the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji, as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. After completing a PhD in Fluid Dynamics / Wind Engineering at the University of Auckland in 1996, on a USP-NZ Government Fellowship, he returned to USP and helped with the accreditation of a new Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree programme (curriculum development, lab development) and setting up / commencing a Postgraduate Programme of Study before migrating to NZ in July 2001.

Since 2008, Dr Sharma has supervised 6 PhD’s and several ME’s to completion, and is currently mentoring 13 more PhD’s as principal supervisor, and several others as co-supervisor.

He currently serves as the Academic Head of the new Thermofluids Laboratory at Newmarket campus, and, represents the Department on the Faculty Equity Committee. He has previously served on many significant committees of the Department, Faculty and the University (both at USP and the UOA).

Over the years, Dr Sharma has developed collaboration with several industries and research institutes, and regularly provides consulting services to clients from outside of the University. He has also served on organising and scientific committees of several international conferences over the years.

Teaching | Current

Dr Sharma has taught across the different areas of Mechanical Engineering over the years but his current teaching spans across the thermofluids suite of courses including Mecheng211 Thermofluids, Mecheng311 Thermal Engineering, Mecheng325 Dynamics of Fluids and Structures, Mecheng711 Computational Fluid Dynamics, Mecheng712 Aerohydrodynamics, Mecheng713 Energy Technology, and Mecheng715 Building Services. He also coordinates and teaches in the Final Year Projects courses (Mecheng762 and 763) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Postgraduate supervision

As principal supervisor (since 2008):

6 PhDs completed

13 PhDs currently in progress

Several MEs completed

As co-supervisor (since 2008):

Several PhDs in progress

Responsibilities

Currrently:

Final year projects coordinator

Academic Head, Thermofluids Laboratory

Member, Faculty Equity Committee

Course Director, Several courses in the Department of Mechanical Engineering